Scissors or pruners for cutting fruit, flowers, or the like



June 12, 1923. 1,458,878

F. DEXTER SCISSORS OR PRUNERS FOR CUTTING FRUIT, FLOWERS, OR THE LIKE Filed June '16, 1919' like;v and I do hereby declare Patented June 12, 1923.

UNITED STATES,

, FRANK DEXTER, or Lennon-ENGLAND. soIssoRs on PRUNERS Fonour'rme FRUIT, rLowEns,,-on wTHEiIK IEl. Q

Application filed uaefie, 1913. "Serial No. eoaisa' v To all whom it. may co'ncern: I

Be it known that I, FRANK DE T R, mer chant,of 42 HarpendenRoad, WVest Norwood, London, and useful Improvements in Scissors or Pruneis for Cutting Fruit, Flowers, or: the the following to be a full, clear,'and exact descriptionof the same; i

This-invention relates tothe kind of pruners or scissors for cutting fruit, flowers or the like in connection with the blades of which means are provided for grippin'g the stalk of the fruit, fiower'or the like when the same is cut by the scissors and holding .such stalk until. the blades :of the scissors are opened. v a V p The invention relates more particularly to pruners or scissors provided with curved cutting blades, such scissors being, as is well known, more efiicient for cutting stalks, or stems, than are scissors provided with straight cutting blades. 7

The object of the invention isto simplify such means-Whilst at the salne'time rendering the same moreelficient than hitherto has been the case. 1

The invention further comprises an improved construction and arrangement of parts, whereby the pruner,or scissors, 1s, or

are, rendered more compact than such devices as heretofore known.

Further features of the invention will.

hereinafter appear from the following description and from the claims appended to and forn'ii'ng part of this specification.

In order that my invention may be fully understood and more readily carried into practice, I have caused tobe appended hereunto a drawing illustrating various con-- structions by way of example, wherein fl Figure l is an elevational front view of the cutting jaws of a pair of fruit and the like cutting scissors or pruners.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation, and

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on'line' A-A of Figure 1, with the cutting blades in closed position. i I

Figure 4 is an elevational front view showin a modification.

Figure 5 is an elevational front view, and Figure 6is a view in side elevation showin another modification. In the construction shown in Figures 1 to 3 the gripping face of the jaw 64 is of approximately the same shape as the blade 6 England, have invented new 'grlppingface advance of the with which it cooperates in grippingtthe stalk and a nose 0 is formed on, the oppogp site faceor rear of'the jawfay The jja'w a is provided with a straight cross slot Z and I p by a screw elpassingthrough the slot d and screwed intoatap-p ed hole 'in the cutting'blade f, 'washerlf'j f preferably provided between} thehead I 65 is held in position being her, (or members) "is secured to the blade f,

or it may be secured to the position with face in contact with the inner end of the opposed cutting blade. A flan'ge' m maybe provided at the rear of the against the rear edge of the blad e 'f an' d tionwhenthe blades and f of the sic i'jssoi are opened-to the full'extent. "The grippj g face of the jaw a is preferably inclined to s0 correspond with the bevel 'on the opposed which'it is connected and; only, lags ,behind tact with and said grippingedge maybe arrangedto remain level with the cutting'edge' of the blade 9 funtil-the'blade commences to'cut the stalk. The vari-ations'in the relative positionsof the gripping edge of thejaw and the 'cutti'ng edgepof the ,blade to, which it isconnected face ofthejaw V. 1

In operation, the closing of thescissors to out the stalk causes or rotate bodily on suelrcutting'edge when it comes into'congrips the stalk to becut,- or

the jaw a to oscillate,-' the cutting blade- 7 owing to the contact of the lower,

part of the gripp'in cutting blade 6' ant the spring member-"72' (or members) yieldin ly retains such-poi tion, in contact with continues to oscillate or cutting blade 7 until-it with the stalk when it remains stationary in relation to the op osed shank'or'handle of the cutting blade handit bears against the rear face of the jaw'a'whichfisforced edge withtheopposed .Y;

file opposed bladed, As the cutting movementprocee ds the jaw a f rotate bodily on the comeslinto contact 1 V 1110.; blade 6. and I allows the cutting bla e f tocorhpletef its f "effect is obtained on the closing movement and thereby cut the stalk. The arrangement is such that as the cutting blades f and b are closed the jaw a approaches the opposed cutting blade I) from the inner part of its face outwards until it I lies everywhere in contact with the blade b.

Thus a very certain and effective gripping stalk at whatever point on the cutting blades the stalk is situated. The nose '0 at the rear of the jaw ensures the correct pressure of the spring during the whole of the operation.

, The gripping jaw may be readily removed by taking out the screw holding the same and the scissors can then be used for pruning in the usual manner.

It will be appreciated that the spring pressure may be applied by any other suitable means and at any'other suitable places on the jaw. For example'a spring may be inserted in the slot in the aw to act in conjunction with the pin or screw and one of said slots. In lieu of a nose on the rear of? the jaw a projection may be provided on the side of the jaw to co-operate with the spring member, or members, and such spring member, or members, may be attached to the scissors at any other suitable part thereof.

1 In the construction shown in Figure l, the jaw a is provided with slots (Z and d and slidably and oscillatably connected to the blade by screws 6 and 6 A gap i is provided in the jaw a to receive a helical spring k attachedto the blade f by a pin j. pin k is provided at the end of the gap 2' to prevent the spring h from leaving the gap 2'. The jaw a operates in the manner ,hereinbefore described, but this construction permits the use of a smaller jaw and is more compact. The slotd is such that the'jaw a is free to oscillate on the screw 6.

As illustrated in Figures 5 and .6, which shows the preferred embodiment of my invention, the jaw a is provided with two slots d, (F, of which 41 is longer than d. Screws e and 6 pass through these slots and are screwed into the blade f, The heads ot -a by means of the the screws 6 and e retain "the jaw an; sliding contact with the blade f and the slot d is such that it permits the jaw a to oscillate on the screw 6. A spring 71 is mounted on the blade f in sliding contact with the jaw screw Z theone end of the spring [L2 is held against displacement by means of a shallow groove provided in the rear edge of the jaw a. The other end of the spring 7L is cranked to engage the back of the blade f.

In all the above described constructions, the engaging face of the jaw a may be serrated to increase its holding power.

What I claim is:

1. A cutting device of the type specified, comprising in combination, two blades, a jaw mounted on one of said blades,.two transverse and parallel slots in said jaw, two pins projecting laterally from said blade and engaging said slots, a recess eX- tending from the back of said jaw between and parallel with said slots, and a spring located within said recess and bearing with one end against said jaw and with the other end against said blade in such manner as to force it resiliently towards the other of said blades.

2. A cutting device of the type specified, comprising in combination, two curved blades. a curved jaw mounted on one of said blades, two transverse and parallel slots in said jaw, two pins projecting laterally from said blade and engaging said slots, a recess extending from the back of said jaw between and parallel with said slots, and a spring located withinsaid recess and hearing with one end against said'jaw and with the other end against said blade in such manner as to force it resiliently towards the other of said blades. Y

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK DEXTER. 

